Wii can but dream of Saturn NiGHTS

After installing and setting up my wireless network at home. I took the Wii online and, two automatic software updates later, was happily perusing the Virtual Console!

Virtual Console, as I've mentioned in the past, is a cornucopia of classic console thrills. And Nintendo has announced that alongside NES, Super NES, N64, Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) and TurboGrafx-16, that NEO-GEO and MSX are to arrive in a spring update.

At present this NEO-GEO and MSX update appears to be destined for Japan-only. However, I'd be very surprised if both platforms don't appear for the rest of us! It's not as though King of Fighters and Metal Gear failed to capture Western gamers imaginations! Incidentally, there has been some very interesting online speculation concerning Sega's Dreamcast titles appearing on the Wii's Virtual Console! Data storage aside, there's no reason to conclude that the likes of Crazy Taxi, Shenmue and Phantasy Star Online won't appear sometime in the future. Come to think of it, the much-maligned Sega Saturn might benefit from Virtual Console. Daytona USA, NiGHTS into Dreams and Panzer Dragoon would be terrific additions.

Unlike Apple Inc's current policy regarding downloaded songs on iTunes. Nintendo allows users to download a game, which may have been deleted, again at no additional cost. This also applies to any software updates (patches). For example if and when Nintendo includes Rumble Pak emulation for its N64 titles. However, the game is restricted to one Wii! In the event that the Wii malfunctions and has to be replaced, Nintendo will provide support. Big N should be lauded for that!

My Wii Console Code is 4054 9122 2571 1110

I'm off to play Mario Kart 64 and R-Type...

Scream

With Halloween only a few weeks away, my pixel-pushing friends over at The Iconfactory have unleashed their ghoulish GUI goodness in the dark n' dank form of Web Attic!

Really looking forward to a late night screening of Michael Jackson's Ghosts and Thriller on the 31st.

In the meantime and in keeping with the Halloween theme. Whilst I'm still suffering post console sale withdrawal, here's the in-game logo taken from Super Castlevania IV (released on the Super NES, 1991).



Holiday season 1992 I hooked the newly unwrapped PAL Super NES to my home AV system (pre multi-channel) and was startled by the quality of the Castlevania IV soundtrack! Sonic detail was in abundance (a maximum of 8-channels were available to sound designers) with excellent 2-channel separation. A peerless platformer (it featured dancing specters Paula Abghoul and Fred Ascare), which still endures to this day. If you're so inclined, I'd recommend hunting down the original 'uncensored' Japanese Super Famicom cartridge entitled Akumajou Dracula (Demon Castle Dracula) - blood and nudity - all the trappings of the vampire genre.

Konami's Castlevania series, one of my favourite video game franchises, rarely disappoints and I've followed the Belmont family cross-platform (no pun intended) from MSX to Arcade and Genesis to GBA.